Neon tetra, pale eyes, body. Please help!

[Pandicorn]

Hi everyone! My tank is a 45 gal, hagen 306 with a sponge filter and kind of messed up air pump, getting that replaced soon.

1x gbr
2x peppered cories
6x rummynose tetra
2x neon tetra

(I am aware of improper schooling numbers, trying to work out fish as I am in the middle of setting up a second tank (20long))

One of my neon tetras is acting and looks very off, it has isolated itself from the school, and isn't swimming normally. His body looks faded, and his colours are nowhere near as bright as the other one. I see some ? white spots on his body, and his fins are not in good shape. He looks very slim, and I don't know if this is new, or I somehow did not catch this earlier. Is this ich? If so, (or not), how can I treat it? Thanks for your help!

 

[Pandicorn]

Bump


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[TMRC Exotics]

Isolated himself from the school? There is no school.

Could be ich, post a pic if possible. The light coloration could be from not being in a proper school but that won't cause white growths.

 

[Pandicorn]

Isolated himself from the school? There is no school.

Could be ich, post a pic if possible. The light coloration could be from not being in a proper school but that won't cause white growths.

Before this the tetras have all shoaled together loosely, the two neons were almost always side by side. Idk if they're really white growths, but the tetra is question has this little bump on its back sort of. I'll see if I can get a pic in the morning


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[Delapool]

If not ich, columnaris may also be possible from description.

 

[Pandicorn]

If not ich, columnaris may also be possible from description.

Now that I have looked it up, I think it is this... should I isolate him/her? I don't want to stress it our even more by having to move it... he's just lying down on the sand right now, and I'm doing a water change like 5mins after I type this... is there anything else I can do to help him?

** however I have not introduced any new fish/plants for quite a while, is there still a chance it may be either of these things? **

 

[Delapool]

Now that I have looked it up, I think it is this... should I isolate him/her? I don't want to stress it our even more by having to move it... he's just lying down on the sand right now, and I'm doing a water change like 5mins after I type this... is there anything else I can do to help him?

** however I have not introduced any new fish/plants for quite a while, is there still a chance it may be either of these things? **

Yes, I'd QT even if a bucket and air pump. I assume water chemistry is fine?

Down on the sand is not good news.

Really need a pic though but you could try any antibiotic fish meds you have in QT.

 

[Delapool]

Now that I have looked it up, I think it is this... should I isolate him/her? I don't want to stress it our even more by having to move it... he's just lying down on the sand right now, and I'm doing a water change like 5mins after I type this... is there anything else I can do to help him?

** however I have not introduced any new fish/plants for quite a while, is there still a chance it may be either of these things? **

Missed the last bit.

Ime for me, I can track back ich to buying new fish within the previous week. I've also had it I believe from the water with plants. Here it is not uncommon to have a few fish with the plants for sale - for the look I have assumed but now I'm much more careful there!

Aquariums always have bacteria, usually this isn't an issue unless fish have injuries or stressed (eg rapid temp spike or high nitrates). Only limited experience with bacterial infections (thank goodness!) but generally I can track this back to some stressful event in the tank (if that makes sense).

 

[TMRC Exotics]

It doesn't really seem like columnaris to me. The gbr likely wouldn't still be alive if it was. Doesn't columnaris spread quickly and kill in a short time? The lack of new additions makes me question ich or columnaris.

 

[Delapool]

It doesn't really seem like columnaris to me. The gbr likely wouldn't still be alive if it was. Doesn't columnaris spread quickly and kill in a short time? The lack of new additions makes me question ich or columnaris.

I have a note or maybe just a bad memory that there are around 70 different versions of the bacteria. Could be wrong there. But you're correct there is the fast acting version.

There is also a slow version where the fish can last for weeks. This is the version I've always had. Signs varied but weight loss, colour fading (although imo this could mean just stress), rough looking fins and white spots larger than ich or/and lesions were found.

I agree on the question, a pic would be ideal and help clarify. And a check on water chemistry.